Driver/field Worker (wine Grapes)

Job description

Supervise vineyard crews. Provide crews with supplies, water, assist with transportation to doctor appointments if any.
Supervise housing to ensure workers are following housing rules and check for anything the housing facilities may need such as repairs, working ranges, refrigerators, smoke detectors, heating.
Check vehicles and report any maintenance the vehicles may need such as oil changes, seat belts, AC.

CalVans Driver/ Enterprise/ Mendoza Vehicle:

1. Driver may drive over the road in passenger vans.
2. Driver will drive designated vans to transport harvest crew workers to and from housing and worksite locations. Driving job duty is not a different job and the drivers perform harvesting job duties when not driving.
3. Driver will be responsible for filling van with fuel and keeping vehicle clean.
4. Driver will be required to complete and process periodic driving reports as required by state laws.
5. Driver will be required to follow all traffic laws and if applicable, vanpool rules.
6. In order to drive, drivers must possess a valid authorized driver’s license and must be able to pass DOT (Department of Transportation) recognized medical exam and fulfill all other DOT requirements.
7. Van Driver performs the medical exam at no cost to the employee or employer. The employer will be responsible for the cost of the registration as an FLCE driver (if any).
8. Direct and monitor the work of seasonal farmworkers during pre-harvest and harvesting.

Drivers are compensated for these activities.
All employees engaged in driving activities (H-2A as well as corresponding domestic workers), will be given the opportunity to obtain a driver’s license or commercial driver’s license (DL or CDL) on a voluntary basis. The DL/CDL is not a pre-hire job requirement. No job applicant will be denied an employment opportunity due to a lack of a DL/CDL or FLCE Certificate at the time of application and/or hiring. Further, no worker (H-2A or corresponding domestic worker) will be terminated for failure to obtain a DL/CDL or FLCE certificate.

Supervisors may perform grape vineyard work alongside crews, if necessary.

Field Worker (Wine Grapes):
Duties vary depending on the growing season:
Work in grape vineyards during growing season (January through March) will include hoeing (long handled hoe) and pruning and various vineyard activities.

Work in grape vineyards during the spring (January through March) will include hoeing (long handled hoe) and pruning and tying, frost maintenance and repair.

Work in grape vineyards (approximately mid-March through May) will include weed removal, planting, training, shoot positioning and vine suckering.

Work in grape vineyards during the summer season (approximately June through July) will include planting, training, shoot positioning, vine suckering. leaf removal. Working on trellis, raking, vineyard clean up and post pounding. Harvest activities include using sharp picking knives, standing, and kneeling on the ground to pick fruit. Employer abides by the California rules applicable to hand weeding.

Non-harvest related activities (approximately August through mid-September) will include early season crop thinning, wire moving and shoot positioning, root picking, irrigation and irrigation maintenance, canopy management, shoveling, trellis maintenance and replacement.

Work in grape vineyards during harvest season (approximately mid-September through the end) will include picking wine grapes and activities directly related to winegrape picking including such as stacking and washing of lugs and bins, leaf removal and sorting fruit.

Non-harvest related activities continue during the harvest season but are not directly related to wine grape picking and include fence repair, trellis repair, trellis maintenance and repair, drainage, field gutters, plant new vineyard including digging, raking, clean up and post pounding.

Special Requirements

Driver Requirements:
1) Type of drivers license required: Class C California license (or equivalent from another state)
2) The employer will pay all associated cost in order for the driver to obtain his drivers license.

Other job Description and Qualifications
Bilingual English/Spanish - Read and Write
Drivers License
Able to use an IPAD
Vineyard Development Experience - Layout, Installation, irrigation and planting knowledge (2 years experience Minimum).
Irrigation Install and operationVineyard Management - Pruning, vine training, Fruit thinning, Harvest Customer Service - Friendly and able to speak with clients.
Supervise vineyard crews. Provide crews with supplies, water, assist with transportation to Dr. appointments if any.